How to ensure safety and efficiency in data centre projects via construction phase plans

Article contents

Key Drivers

• A Construction Phase Plan (CPP) is a mandatory document under CDM 2015, setting out how health and safety will be managed throughout the build.
• The principal contractor is responsible for creating and maintaining the CPP, with input from clients, designers, and subcontractors.
• A robust CPP ensures legal compliance, risk control, and clear coordination across all site teams - reducing delays, incidents, and liability.
• RED Engineering embeds CPPs into every data centre project stage, turning regulatory requirements into practical tools for safer, more efficient delivery.

On any construction site, dozens of contractors work side by side, each bringing their own expertise, equipment, and expectations. Machinery roars, materials arrive in waves, and deadlines loom. Yet beneath the visible chaos lies an invisible thread holding everything together: the construction phase plan (CPP).

Without it, even the most carefully designed project can unravel. Health and safety risks multiply. Coordination breaks down. Legal compliance slips through the cracks. And what should be a smooth build becomes a series of costly delays and avoidable incidents.

The construction phase plan is the backbone of safe, efficient, and compliant project delivery. For clients, contractors, and design teams alike, understanding what a CPP is, who's responsible for creating it, and how it evolves throughout the project lifecycle is essential to keeping everyone protected and the build on track.

At RED, we've embedded construction phase planning into every stage of our data centre design services. From initial advisory work through to commissioning and handover, we ensure that every CPP remains accurate, informed, and effective - turning regulatory obligation into operational advantage.

Here's everything you need to know about construction phase plans, and how RED ensures they work in practice, not just on paper.

What is a construction phase plan?

A Construction Phase Plan is a mandatory live health and safety management document required under the UK’s Construction Design and Management (CDM) Regulations 2015. It sets out how risks will be managed throughout the construction phase, ensuring that everyone involved, from the principal contractor to subcontractors and site operatives, understands their responsibilities and the measures in place to protect them.

The CPP turns pre-construction information (the documentation provided at the start of a project detailing known hazards, site constraints, and project requirements) into actionable insights and practical site-level controls and safety procedures. It’s not a static document. As projects evolve, new designs, new teams, and unexpected site challenges, the plan adapts.

From small commercial setups to complex hyperscale data centres, a well-prepared CPP provides a flexible framework that keeps construction safe, efficient, and fully compliant.

The purpose of a construction phase plan

Under the UK’s CDM Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015), all construction projects must have a CCP before work begins. It’s the principal contractor’s primary tool for managing health and safety on site - ensuring compliance, coordination, and control throughout the project lifecycle.

The CPP serves three main purposes:

1. Ensuring legal compliance
   The CPP must be completed before construction begins and serves as formal evidence that a project complies with CDM 2015. It demonstrates that risks have been identified, assessed, and controlled - helping to prevent enforcement action, project delays, or legal exposure. Failure to produce or maintain an adequate plan can result in enforcement action, project delays, and serious legal liability.
2. Risk reduction
   Acting as a structured site framework, the CPP defines how key risks, from confined spaces and temporary works to fire safety and environmental hazards, will be managed. Because it’s constantly updated as the project progresses, the plan remains accurate and effective as designs change, teams rotate, and new challenges arise.
3. Strengthening coordination and communication
   On complex construction sites, the CPP acts as a single point of reference for all teams. It sets out roles, site rules, and procedures to keep work safe, organised, and efficient. Emergency protocols are clearly defined, and communication between contractors, designers, and the client is streamlined throughout the project.

At RED, we see the CPP as a living framework that protects people, supports efficient delivery, and helps clients meet their duty of care.

Who is responsible for completing the construction phase plan?

Under CDM 2015, the principal contractor (or sole contractor on smaller projects) is responsible for preparing and maintaining the construction phase plan. This responsibility begins before construction starts and continues throughout the build. However, the principal contractor doesn't work alone - while they lead the plan, it depends on input and collaboration from multiple parties.

The client must ensure a construction phase plan exists before work begins and that it's suitable for the project. They are also responsible for providing relevant pre-construction information and ensuring the principal contractor has the expertise, experience, and resources to manage site safety effectively.

The principal designer leads health and safety coordination during the design phase, identifying risks and eliminating them where possible. Their findings feed directly into the CPP, ensuring that site-level controls align with the design intent.

Designers and subcontractors provide essential technical input, including method statements, risk assessments, and information about materials, plant, and work sequencing. Their contributions ensure the CPP remains accurate and reflects the realities of how work will actually be carried out.

Without a robust construction phase plan, everyone on site is at risk of legal liability - especially the principal contractor. It’s a crucial part of safeguarding workers, minimising incidents, and helping keep projects on schedule. That's why RED integrates CPP development and review into our client representative, commissioning management, and CDM Principal Designer services - ensuring the plan aligns with best practice and real-world site conditions from day one.

What a construction phase plan includes

A construction phase plan must be tailored to the project, site, and scope of work, and typically includes:

Project overview and scope

A clear summary of the project, its location, nature of works, and key milestones. This section sets the foundation for how health, safety, and management controls are applied throughout the build.

Management structure and responsibilities

An outline of the principal contractor’s team, subcontractors, and any specialist advisors. It defines who is responsible for what - establishing communication routes, reporting lines, and authority for decision-making on site.

Risk assessments and control measures

Identification of significant hazards such as working at height, lifting operations, electrical work, or handling hazardous materials. It details the specific control measures, safe systems of work, and permit-to-work procedures in place to manage these risks.

Site rules and welfare arrangements

The day-to-day operational standards that keep the site safe and compliant. This includes access control, site security, welfare provision (toilets, wash areas, rest spaces), PPE requirements, and rules governing behaviour.

Emergency and communication procedures

Clear protocols for dealing with incidents, fires, first aid, and evacuation. This section ensures everyone knows what to do in an emergency and how to raise concerns or report hazards.

For complex projects, such as mission-critical data centres, the CPP may also reference specialist procedures. These can include commissioning protocols, environmental control strategies, and coordination measures for working alongside live operations.

RED's approach integrates these elements into a coherent, project-specific document that's easy to navigate and practical to implement. We use checklists and templates to ensure completeness, and work closely with contractors to verify that what's written in the CPP reflects what's actually happening on site.

How RED embeds CPPs across its project stages

We treat the construction phase plan as a dynamic document, not a box-ticking requirement. At RED, it evolves with the project, reflecting on-the-ground realities and informing safe, coordinated progress from concept to completion.

Advisory, Planning & Due Diligence

We offer feasibility studies, site selection, test fits, and master planning, as well as portfolio assessments for acquisitions or mergers. In addition, we create sustainability and energy efficiency strategies to ensure your project is viable, future-proof, and aligned with long-term ESG objectives.

Design & Engineering

Our Design & Engineering services turn ideas into fully engineered solutions. We provide concept, schematic, and detailed designs, offering both single-discipline and multidisciplinary expertise across MEP and CSA systems, while incorporating sustainability principles to create efficient, resilient, and future-ready facilities.

Construction

During the Construction phase, RED ensures your project is completed on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. We handle offsite and onsite utilities, provide comprehensive project management (PMO) and project management controls (PMC), oversee cost management and quantity surveying, and offer hands-on construction support to guarantee smooth and efficient delivery from start to finish.

Commissioning & Handover

In the Commissioning & Handover phase, RED ensures your facility is fully operational and compliant from the start. We oversee commissioning (CXA), quality verification, and final handover, while providing operational training and compliance support to ensure your systems run reliably and efficiently.

Lifecycle & Operational Support

Through Lifecycle & Operational Support, RED helps you optimise the performance and lifespan of your facility. We offer post-handover performance monitoring, develop maintenance strategies and upgrades, and manage lifecycle plant replacements to keep your infrastructure efficient, reliable, and prepared for the future.

Keeping the CPP Up to Date

A CPP is only effective if it reflects the reality on site. Construction conditions change constantly - designs are refined, teams rotate, and unexpected hazards arise. The CPP must therefore be actively maintained, with regular reviews to keep it relevant and actionable.

Typical triggers for updates include:

• Changes to design that impact sequencing, plant, or temporary works
• Appointment of new subcontractors with different methods, equipment, or risk profiles
• Alterations to site logistics, access, or layout
• Incidents or near misses reveal gaps in existing controls
• Shifts in environmental or external conditions, such as weather or adjacent works

At RED, the construction phase plan is treated as an active management tool. We review it at key project stages to keep safety measures, responsibilities, and welfare arrangements accurate and compliant.

Our commissioning management and site services teams provide on-the-ground oversight, and using a central digital workspace, updates are coordinated across design, construction, and commissioning teams - ensuring a consistent, informed approach.

A consistent, informed approach to safer delivery

A carefully developed and actively maintained construction phase plan sets the foundation for delivering projects safely and efficiently. It safeguards people, supports collaboration, ensures legal compliance, and makes health and safety a competitive advantage rather than a limitation.

At RED , we keep every construction phase plan current, clear, and actionable from concept through commissioning and handover. Our structured approach, technical expertise, and commitment to safety mean that our clients can trust their projects will be delivered efficiently, sustainably, and without compromise.

Want to see how RED can support your next project? Get in touch with our team to embed health, safety, and compliance at every stage of delivery.